Well-drilling appliance.



w. E. A. PIPHBR. WELL DRILLING APPLIANGE. APPLIOATION PILED DEO. 12, 1908.

1,005,301. Patented Oct. o, 1911.

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n TT TATES ATE WILLIAM E. A. PIPHER, OF PARKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF JUNE- FOURTH TO CEARLES A. SHERWOOD, OF PAEKERS LANDING, PENNSYLVANIA.

WELL-DEILLING- APPLIANCE.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1911.

Application filed December 12, 1908. Serial 1\ o. 467,216.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that T, WILLIAM E. A. Pirnnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Parkers Landing, in the county of Armstrong and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful VVell-Drilling Appliance, of which the following` is a specification.

This invention relates to appliances for supporting tools used for drilling Artesian and similar wells.

lt is the primary Object of the present invcntion to provide an improved means 'for supporting tools 'for drilling` Artesian and similar wells, and to overcome the disadvantages of such supporting means as are now employed, at the same time combining their advantages.

Tt is a well known fact that a rope is more satisfactory than a wire calle for the purpose of supporting the tools employed in drilling Artesian or other similar wells, owing to the 'act that such rope possesses certain resilient properties which act to permit rehound or jar of the drilling tool at each stroke thereot. The disadvantage of such a supporting means however resides in the fact that it is extremely liahle to become broken and does not wear as long as does a wire cahle. On the other hand, however, a wire cable does not possess the properties of elasticity contained in the hemp or other rope, and there is no rebound of the drilling` tool at the termination of each stroke.

It is the Object of the present invention therefore to provide means whereby any ordinary well-drilling tool may be supported at the end of a wire Cable, and the proper rebound of the tool be had in spite of the employment of the cahle, and the invention even goes a step farther by providing for adjustment of the device to the proper degree of tension or resiliency, so that it may be quickly adapted for use in connection 'with tools of varying weight.

Vvith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claim, and shown in the acompanying drawings, in which 2- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device embodying the invention: Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sectional Views, on the lines 2-2 and 3-3 respectively, of Fig. 1 looking upward in Fig. 3.

In the drawings, the device emhodied in the invention is illustrated as comprised in part of a cylindrical harrel 5, which has its upper end contracted to form a shoulder 6,*

shown). The barrel 5 is further provided, s

at its upper end, with a tubular extension 11, the hore 12 of which extends axially of the barrel, and slidably disposed within the barrel and projecting at its upper end into the bore of the tubular extension 11, is a tubular plunger 13, the said plunger being screwed at its lower end into the threaded bore 140 of a cylindrical head 14, which is of suhstantially the same diameter as the here o' the barrel, and slides therein. It will be seen that the plunger sten 13 is of such length as to project at its upper end into the tuhular extension 11 of the barrel when the head 14 of the plunger is at rest against the stud 8 of the coupling element 9.

In order to eXert a constant tension against the plunger in the direction of its lower end, a plurality or" short helical Springs 15 and interposed sleeves 16 are disposed upon the stem 13 of the plunger, the sleeves 16 being arranged one hetweeneach pair of the Springs, and the uppermost spring bearing at one end against. the shoulder 6, and the lowermost spring bearing at its lower end against the plunger head 14.' Tt is preferable thatthe Springs 15 be under a certain degree of compression, even when conditions are normal, under which conditions the head 14: of the plunger will hear against the upper end of the stud 8 of the connection 9; and this degree of compression to which the Springs are normally subjected may be varied by removing one or more of the Springs, or inserting one or more such Springs, it being understood that, in the first instance, less energy will be required to move the plunger in the direction of the upper end of the barrel than in the latter instance. The plunger head 14 is provided, in its under face, with a socket 17 which is intended to receive the knotted p of the tool, the upward pull upon the cable 18 will serveto place the springs 15 under a higher degree of compression than at any other time, and that these springs, in resuming the original or normal State, will cause a rebound of the drilling tool. It will be understood, further, that while all the advantages accruing from the employment of a wire Cable as the tool-supporting means, are obtaned, the further advantages which would accrue from the employment of an elastic supporting means, such as a hemp rope, are also secured; and it will further be apparent that, by removing one or more of the springs 15, or inserting one or more such springs, the tensile strength of the de- Vice may be varied to adapt the same for employment with heavy or light tools, and to attain the desired rebound of a tool of any weight employed.

It will be observed, from an inspection of Fig. 1 of the drawings, that certain of the springs 15 are of greater length than the others, although their helices are of the same diameter, so that certain of the springs may be said to have a tensile strength greater than certain other of the springs, and, while this arrangement of springs is not absolutely essential to the attainment of the results, yet, the advantage of such an arrangement lies in the fact that a wider range of adjustment may be secured than would be possible should all of the springs be of the same length. l In other words, whereas, in the arrangement shown and just described, one of the longer springs might be removed to secure the proper adjustment; should all of the springs be of the same length, it might be found that neither the removal of one nor two of the springs would produce the desired result;

By referring to the drawings it will be noted that the sleeves 16 are of considerable length so as to present extensive bearing surfaces to the inner surface of the barrel 5. As a result, these sleeves will not tilt or cant under the pressure of the springs, said springs bearing upon the sleevcs at points removed from the centers thereof. Moroover these sleeves reinforce the tubular plunger 13 and prevent it from buckling or getting out of a straight line during its sudden movement within the barrel. It will be seen that the head 14 fits snugly upon the stud 8 under normal conditions and that the knot at the lower end of the rope is seated within a recess or socket 17. It will be seen, therefore, that when the head 14; is movcd downwardly the knot at the lower end of the rope will not strike the stud 8 and cushion the head 14 but will be held practically out of contact with the stud.

What is claimed is A well drilling appliance including a cylindrical barrel, a threaded stud Closing one end thereof and having a tool receiving socket in its outer end, there being a tubular extension at the other end of the barrel, a tubular plunger mounted to rcciprocato within the barrel and extension, a plunger head detachably engaged by one end of said plunger and normally pressing fiat upon the inner end of the threaded stud, that face of the head contacting with the stud being formed with a tapered socket, a rope extending through the tubular plunger and having a knotted terminal seated within the socket and above the lower face of the plunger head, a series of helical springs extending around the plunger and within the barrel, the end springs bearing against the plunger head and one end of the barrel respectively, and combined spacing and reinforcing rings fitting slidably on the plunger and within the barrel, said rings being interposed between the springs and constituting bearings for the ends thereof.

In testimony that I clain the foregoing' as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature m the presence of two wtnesses.

XVILLIAM E. A. PIPHER.

VVitnesses:

ROBERT M. MooRE, MONROE ALWORTH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

